The use of LED's in place of conventional incandescent, fluorescent, and neon lamps has a number of advantages. LED's tend to be less expensive and longer lasting than conventional incandescent, fluorescent, and neon lamps. In addition, LED's generally can output more light per watt of electricity than incandescent, fluorescent, and neon lamps.
Linear light fixtures are popular for a variety of different residential and commercial lighting applications, including cabinet lighting, shelf lighting, cove lighting, and signage. Cove lighting is a form of indirect lighting in which lamps are built into ledges, recesses, or valences in a ceiling or high on the walls of a room. Linear light fixtures can provide primary lighting in an environment or serve as aesthetic accents or designs that complement other lighting sources.
Conventional linear LED light fixtures include modules or strips of LED's that are mechanically and electrically coupled to one another in an end-to-end relationship. FIG. 1 illustrates two conventional LED strips 105 and 106 that could be used in such a light fixture. Each strip 105, 106 includes multiple LED's 108. A second end 105b of strip 105 is electrically and mechanically coupled to a first end 106a of strip 106 via a connector 110. Adjacent pairs of LED's 108a-108d on strip 105 are spaced apart from one another by a distance X. Adjacent pairs of LED's 108e-108h on strip 106 are spaced apart from one another by the same distance X.
Adjacent LED's 108d and 108e across the LED strips 105 and 106 are spaced apart from one another by a distance Y. The distance Y is significantly larger than the distance X. This space between the LED's 108d and 108e causes the light output by the LED strips 105 and 106 to be discontinuous. In particular, the light output by the LED strips 105 and 106 includes an undesirable break or shadow that corresponds to the space between the LED strips 105 and 106.
Therefore, a need exists in the art for an improved linear LED light fixture. In particular, a need exists in the art for LED modules that interface with one another in a way that produces continuous light output across the LED modules. A further need exists in the art for such light output to be devoid of undesirable shadows and breaks.